All I Need Is You
by piscesclio
Summary: Pacey and Joey have discovered feelings for each other. Will they finally tell each other?
1. Chapter One

A warm summer breeze caressed Joey's face as she sat contemplating her very pathetic life. She was going to be seventeen and her entire existence centered around making the highest marks in shcool and working at the bed and breakfast that her sister owned. She hadn't even had a boyfriend. Ever. In all her seventeen years not a single guy had ever shown any real interest in her. She'd had a crush on her best friend, Dawson, for years but the only one he seemed to want was little miss bottle-blonde, Jen Lindley.

Joey sighed heavily and dipped her toes into the cold waters of the creek. She could never compete with Jen. When Jen was around it didn't matter what Joey said or did because Dawson only had eyes for her. You would think that after two years she would get used to it, but no matter how understanding she tried to be it still infuriated her to no end. It wasn't like she had feelings for him anymore, but she at least wanted some of his time. Was that too much to ask? It really didn't help that Bessie, Bodie, and Alexander had been on vacation all summer. Or that her favorite verbal nemesis and, as of late, her only confidant had decided to get a summer job in another town.

She really couldn't believe how much she had missed Pacey's company this summer. Considering they had a history of not being able to get along for more than five minutes at a time that particular realization was kind of a shock to her. Though, in the past couple of months they had become a lot closer. It seemed they hardly ever truly fought anymore. Sure, they still had their wonderfully witty insult fests, but they no longer really meant what they were saying. They had actually started to get along really well. Now that she thought about it, she never went to Dawson with her problems anymore, now she went to Pacey. And she knew that she was the one he went to first in his times of need.

Joey couldn't quite pinpoint when the transition took place, when they had stopped seeing each other as the enemy, but it had happened. Somewhere down the road they had started to rely on each other. With Dawson too rapped up in Jen and his awful break up with Andie they didn't really have anyone else to turn to.

Pacey had started hanging out at he house more and more often, claiming that he needed help with his ever-plunging grades, which was very true. Joey would help him study and in return he would force her to have fun. Problem was she had too much fun when she was with him. It made her realize how much she cared for him, as more than a friend. That wasn't good considering it would be like Dawson all over again. She would be pining away and he would be thinking of her as just a friend, being completely oblivious to how she really felt. Again Joey sighed and dramatically plopped back on the dock.

"Still a drama queen."

Joey stood up and swung around to face the owner of that familiar voice. There he stood. She had been waiting all summer to see him and yet she was stunned speechless and left staring at him, in his cargo shorts and one of his infamous Hawaiian shirts.

Joey felt her heart start to race as they stood watching each other intently. It seemed like an eternity had passed between them before either could make a move. Then she started running towards him. Joey flung herself into his arms, enveloping him in a big hug.

At first Pacey wasn't sure how to react to Joey's sudden display of affection, but it didn't take long before he pulled her tighter to him, not ever wanting to let go. "I missed you too, Jo." he whispered into her ear.

And he had missed her. Pacey had missed everything about her, from the way she looked at him and offered a lopsided grin of a icy death glare to the way she ate her food. Of course, that didn't surprise him much. Pacey had become accustomed to loving her so much that he missed her every second of every day that he wasn't with her. What did surprise him was that he had lasted a whole month and a half without seeing her beautiful smile. It didn't matter that he had spent much of that time daydreaming about it.

Joey surprised herself by hugging him. It wasn't something she had planned on doing, but by the time she had reached him it was like she didn't have any control over it. Joey slowly pulled out if his embrace, then she punched him in the shoulder.

"What was that for?" Pacey asked, rubbing his arm.

"I am not a drama queen!" she replied, trying to give him an icy glare. However, just like the many other times before, she couldn't stop a smile from creeping across her face.

"There's that beautiful smile." He said, giving her his million-dollar grin.

Joey blushed but tried to act like she wasn't very affected by his comment. "Save me from my boredom, Pace. Tell me about your summer."

"All in good time. I ctually came to inquire about lodgings and the wonderful Potter B&B."

"It's too bad we aren't currently open for business then." Joey watched as disappointment flooded his face and felt a twinge of guilt.

Pacey turned around and started to walk off, saying as he left, "I guess I'll go see what Dawson's up to."


	2. Chapter Two

Joey thought about it for a few seconds. Bessie was out of town and the B&B would be closed for the rest of the summer. If she let him stay they would be there all alone, together. Bessie would definitely not approve. Why did he want to stay there anyway? Didn't he live with Doug? What if Doug kicked him out? What if he had nowhere else to go? Joey let her concern for Pacey overrule her fears of getting on Bessie's bad side.

"Pacey!"

He stopped and smiled to himself, but he didn't turn back around. Joey ran to catch up with him. "I think we can make an exception."

Pacey raised his eyebrows and grinned from ear to ear. "You just can't get enough of me, can you Potter?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I just didn't want you to suffer through the Dawson and Jen makeout session that is bound to be going on about now."

"See, you are concered for me."

"Whatever." He continued to smirk. "I can always take it back."

"You could but you must admit that you would miss my devilishly handsome self." Pacey chuckled when she rolled her eyes at his confident statement.

They walked back to her house. Joey noticed that most of what Pacey owned was sitting on the porch and made a mental not to ask about it later. She opened the front door and walked into the kitchen while Pacey moved his stuff into one of the guest rooms. There was a message on the answering machine. Joey pressed the button and stated to straighten up the kitchen as she listened to the message.

"Hey, Jo. It's Bess. We decided to stay a few more weeks. In fact, we won't be back before you start school. Kepp the place clean, stay out of trouble, and have a happy birthday."

Joey heard the click of the machine and mavement behind her. She turned to find Pacey standing barely a foot behind her with a smirk on his face. "Haven't you ever heard of personal space?"

He stepped back about an inch, but the grin stayed exactly where it had been. They stared at each other, him grinning and her glaring, for a while. Finally she spoke.

"What?!" Okay, she yelled, and his smile never faltered.

"You are the only one here?"

"Yeah, but -" Joey tried to explain but Pacey cut her off.

"I know what you're doing Josephine, and I like it."

"Don't call me that and what, exactly, do you think I'm doing?" she asked curiously, but with obvious irritation.

"No worries. I'm right with ya."

"Pacey, if you don't tell me what you are talking about I swear -"

"Do you want me to show you?" he asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Will it explain what you are talking about?"

Pacey nodded. "Okay, then show me."

He closed the remaining distance between them and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss.

Dawson watched as Jen walked across his lawn and into her house. He looked over at he clock, noting how late it was. He sat debating if he should go see what Joey was doing. She was probably asleep.

How could he have spent the entire summer without seeing her? It wasn't like they didn't live in a very small town. Sure, they passed each other on the street sometimes and would say hello, but it wasn't the same.

Dawson missed having actual conversations with her. He missed movie nights with her. He missed her turning to him when something went wrong. Of course, she hadn't been doing that for a while now. Now she went to Pacey.

Those two were always together. Granted they spent most of that time arguing, but still. It was the way they argued that bothered him. As if the rest of the world stopped existing when they started bickering at each other. They provoked each other with a kind of devilish glee that made him wonder if something more was going on with them and they were just hiding it from him.

Dawson sat on his bed and decided to see Joey first thing in the morning. There were some things they needed to discuss.


	3. Chapter Three

Pacey had naturally expected Joey to slap him for his forwardness, but that wasn't anywhere close to what he got. She was now, not only letting him kiss her, but was kissing him back enthusiastically.

Joey'd had every intention of slapping Pacey when she realized he was going to kiss her, when his lips met hers in a tantalizing kiss. The kiss was surprising soft and sweet and full of urgency. It was almost like he was trying to pour his heart out in that one kiss. All she could think to do wass him back with just as much passion. Suddenly, Pacey pulled away from her, leaving Joey to stare at him in a haze of confusion. She leaned in to kiss him again, but Pacey moved away.

"What is your problem?" Joey asked with annoyance.

"Nothin, Jo. I'm just tired. I think I'm going to go to bed, okay?" He didn't even wait for her to respond. Turning on his heels, Pacey walked out of the kitchen.

Wht did he think he was doing? She probably wasn't even aware that it was him, Pacey Witter, that she was kissing. Either that or she had become so desperate and lonely that she longer cared who it was that she kissed.

Pacey just couldn't let himself believe that she had really wanted to kiss him. He had tried to kiss her before and she would always pull back. Of course, that was before they had started to be civil toward each other.

He still didn't get it though. After two years of pining away for Dawson, she wouldn't just give up that easily. It wasn't in her nature to give up. She was far too stubborn and pigheaded for that.

Even if, by some miracle, she was over Dawson, why would she want him anyway? He was the class clown and the ultimate town screw-up. He was the exact opposite of Dawson Leery, the one he was sure she loved.

Pacey walked into the room he was staying in, thinking back to the first time he had ever laid eyes on Joey Potter.

It had been the first day of the first grade. She walked into the classroom nervously, still clinging to her mother's hand. She looked like she was about to cry until her mother leaned down and said something to her. They hugged, and before the little girl could object once more the woman left.

Still not quite sure of what to do, she stuck out her chin with a stubborn sort of resolve. The girl surveyed the rows of desks and then did something he sometimes wished she hadn't, she sat down next to him.

All Pacey could do was stare at her. She had to be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, with her long, dark hair falling down her back in two thick braids.

Pacey continued to stare until she finally whipped around and said, "What are you looking at Jailbait?"

With his feeling hurt he replied, "Nothing special Ice Queen."

By then a blond boy had sat down on the other side of the girl and he quickly stepped between then to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Dawson."

"Pacey." "Josephine." the two replied, still glaring at each other.

Pacey made an odd expression. "What kind of a name is Josephine?"

"What kind of a name is Pacey?" she countered.

"I don't know, but at least it doesn't sound like an old lady's name."

"It does not!"

"Does so!"

"Guys!" Neither of them bothered to glance in Dawson's direction at his sudden outburst.

"Like you could do better." She spat, still glaring at him.

Pacey thought hard for a few seconds. What could he change her name to that would sound cool? Then he grinned. "We could call you Joey."

"That's a boy's name." She pointed out to him with a dry tone.

"So? It's a lot better than Josephine." He stated plainly.

She seemed to think on it a minute, then she smiled at him. That one smile had been his completely undoing, because that was the exact moment Pacey had fallen for her.

Pacey snapped out of the trance he had been sucked into when he heard something heavy hit the floor above him.

He ran up the stairs two at a time and into Joey's bedroom. She was tangled up in her sheet, on the floor, in the middle of what looked like a pretty bad nightmare.

Pacey knelt beside her and began to gently shake her. "Joey? C'mon Jo, wake up."

She still didn't open her eyes. Joey started thrashing even more violently and now she was hitting him in her sleep. She was hitting him hard enough that Pacey was sure he would have a few bruises in the morning.

Again Pacey started to shake her, but this time there was nothing gentle about it. He desperately felt he had to wake her up.

"Joey, wake up!" Joey's eyes flew wide open and for a second she couldn't place who or where she was. Then she remembered the nightmare.

She had been sitting with her mother, on the beach, and they were talking and laughing. Joey ran down by the water and stood, cooling her feet in the ocean. She heard her mother call her name, but when she turned around she was no longer at the beach and she didn't see her mother anywhere.

She was now standing with Bessie as they watched a coffin being lowered into the ground. Joey easily recognized the scene that lay before her. It had been the day they burried her mother. She slid to her knees and began to weep. Closing her eyes she let the tears fall.

Joey opened her eyes again and screamed. She wasn't looking at the coffin anymore, she was the one inside it. The cramped darkness and musty smell of dirt was enough to tell her that. Immediately, Joey began beating on the lid. She hit, kicked, yelled, begged, and clawed at the wood. Still, no one would let her out. That was when she had opened her eyes to find Pacey leaning over her, one of the most worried of expression gracing his usually care-free face.

Joey clung to him and let the tears run down her cheeks. At first they were just small tears, just a slow steady course that streamed down her face. Soon they became huge, wracking sobs.

Pacey knew she was crying about her mother. The only time she ever cried like that was when she thought about her mom and he hated that it was the one pain he couldn't save her from. All he could do was hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

When Joey had stopped crying he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. He pulled the covers over her and then looked at her already sleeping form. Pacey kissed her forehead and whispered good night, then he turned to go back to his room.

"Pacey?" he heard her whisper behind him.

"Yeah Jo?"

"Stay with me."


	4. Chapter Four

Pacey lay awake staring at the ceiling. He couldn't go to sleep. Not when he was so very aware of the delicate form lying next to him in the bed. He rolled over on his side to look at her, just to make sure she was really there, that he wasn't dreaming. She was so beautiful. Pacey inhaled deeply and rolled onto his back. When he did Joey turned over and snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, throwing her arm across the wide expanse of his chest.

Pacey couldn't even blink for the fear that crept through his being, the fear that if he moved she would wake up and do what Joey did best. Panic. She would panic and yell at him for things he wouldn't understand. Then she would kick him out, leaving him utterly confused with nowhere else to go. Staying still was definitely the best option.

However, staying awake no longer seemed to be. As hard as he tried to fight it Pacey could feel sleep tugging at him. Finally, he closed his eyes and let himself be pulled into the black abyss of his subconscious.

Joey awoke to sunlight streaming into her window and the steady rise and fall of Pacey's chest. Her eyes snapped open. Pacey's chest? What the hell was she doing sleeping on Pacey's chest?

Joey untangled her limbs from Pacey's as she tried to remember what had happened the night before. Then it hit her. She had asked Pacey to stay the night with her. Joey had been so upset that she had asked him to sleep, just sleep, with her.

She let her pulse slow down a little. Pacey was her good friend. There was nothing wrong with him sleeping in the same bed. She had done the same thing with Dawson for years. Yeah, the exact same thing.

Not exactly convinced, Joey eased off the bed, trying not to wake Pacey in the process. Unfortunately, she tripped when she tried to get her foot untangled from the sheet and hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Smooth move, Josephine." Pacey said with a chuckle. Moving to look over the edge of the bed at the beautifully disheveled girl.

Joey growled as she tried to pick herself up off the floor but her feet got caught in the sheets again and she tripped, hitting the floor hard. "Ow."

"Do you need some help?"

"No." She replied through gritted teeth. It was now a war between her and the sheets and Joey was determined to win. She slowly unwound herself from the cloth.

Pacey tried to contain his laughter after the first tumble but when she stumbled the second time he couldn't help himself. Joey shot him a withering glare as she finally picked herself up off the floor and marched out of the room.

"C'mon, Jo. It was funny." He called after her, still laughing.

"Go to Hell, Witter!" At that Pacey just laughed harder.

Joey was in the bathroom vigorously brushing her teeth when Pacey leaned up against the doorframe and pouted. "Are you still mad at me?"

She wasn't still mad but she didn't want to give in too easily. Joey rinsed her mouth and refused to look at him. Instead, she pushed past him and walked into her room, shutting the door behind her as she went.

Pacey didn't let a closed door deter him. He swung the door open right as Joey was about to take off her shirt.

"Pacey!"

"Sorry, but I can't let it go until you forgive me." Pacey hung his head in shame but a grin quickly spread across his face.

Joey felt a similar grin try to grace her own lips but tried to keep a stern expression on her face. "Well, I don't think I can forgive you without being convinced that you are truly repentant."

Immediately Pacey went down on his knees in true begging fashion and Joey burst into a fit of giggles. "Okay, Pace, I forgive you. Now get up and get out so I can change."


	5. Chapter Five

The beautiful aroma of coffee hit Joey as she made her way down the stairs. When she stepped into the kitchen it was to see Pacey standing in front of the stove cooking something that smelled delicious.

"Pacey, you didn't have to cook. I was going to do that." She said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table.

"Why do you think I did, Josephine?"

"Witter, are you implying that I can't cook?"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm saying that you can't cook." Pacey shoveled the conents of the pan on to a plate and set it in front of Joey.

"Aren't you going to eat, Pace?"

He shook his head. Pacey waited for her to finish eating before he said, "Dawson called while you were changing."

Joey snorted in disgust. "What did he want?"

"He wants us to come over for a movie night. I think he means it as some sort of peace offering."

Joey chewed on her bottom lip. If he was trying to say he was sorry for blowing her off all summer maybe she should go. It might be fun. Of course, Dawson would probably force them to watch Spielberg films that they had already seen a thousand times. And he would probably spend the entire time with his tongue down Jen's throat. Did she really want to go and have to endure a whole night of that? Nope, she wasn't going to go.

Pacey watched her and knew that she was going to refuse to go. "You're going, Jo."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are. You should go so that he can apologize for whatever it is that he did to piss you off."

"He won't apologize so I'm not going."

"You are going. Your only option is how. Either you go of your own free will or I take you by force. It's your choice."

Joey just shook her head, glaring at him defiantly.

"Jo, I'm going to give you to the count of three to go quietly." She just continued to stare at him.

"One..."

"No, Pace."

"Two..."

"Uh uh." She said, shaking her head.

"Three..."

"Not. Gonna. Happen." Joey spat but she started to look a little nervous when he began to advance towards her.

"I just want you to remember that I gave you plenty of opportunities to avoid this, Potter." Before she could retreat, Pacey bent and hoisted her over his should.

"Pacey! Pacey, put me down!" She couldn't believe that he was doing this!

Pacey ignored her screaming and started to walk out the door. He just thanked God that she hadn't started to hit, kick, bite, or scratch. Boy, she sure had changed in the last couple of years.

"So, are you going to carry me all the way to Dawson's house?" Joey asked as they turned the corner at the end of her street.

"Yep."

"Why? I can walk you know."

"Because, Josephine, I'm not going to give you any opportunity to get away and I know you. The second I let you down you're going to make a run for it."

"Hmfft."

Pacey chuckled. "Thats not a very lady-like sound, Jo."

"Bite me, Pacey." Joey growled.

"Just say when and where, Potter, it would be my pleasure."

"In your dreams."

"Every night." He shot back and Joey smiled. She had missed moments like this with Pacey, even if they were slightly humiliating.

Pacey grinned to himself. He had missed this so much over the summer. Nobody ever bantered with him like Joey did. Especially not girls. Hell, most girls were too busy hitting on him this summer to ever fight with him, even if it was only a half-hearted protest. Not that he really minded the extra attention he had been recieving from the ladies, but they weren't his Jo.

Dawson watched through the livingroom window as Pacey and Joey made their way up his front walk. It made him sick. If Dawson had dared to swing Joey over his shoulder and carry her around like a Neanderthal she would have fought him to the death to get him to put her down. Now she was placidly letting Pacey. A year ago Joey would have ran away from Pacey's touch and now she seemed unbelievably comfortable with it. Dawson made a disgusted sound and walked upstairs.

"Okay. We're here."

"Good. Now, put me down Witter." Joey said, patting his back.

She really couldn't take this any longer. Being this close to him was driving her crazy, and his blatant display of stength was starting to turn her on. She had to get away, before she said something stupid.

"Not a chance, Jo." Pacey knocked on the door.

"But we're here!" she cried in indignation.

"And you still might run away." The truth was he just liked holding her even if it was the same way he would carry a sack of potatoes.

Jen opened the door and burst out laughing. "What are you guys doing?"

"Jo was being difficult. I had to." Pacey said, winking at Jen.

"Pacey, put me down! Now!" She had to admit the whole scene had been amusing when it was just her and Pacey to witness it, but now it was a little humiliating.

"In a minute, Icequeen. When we get upstairs."

"Listen Jailbait -" Her protest was cut short when she heard Jen chuckle. "Oh, shut up, Jen."

Jen moved aside to let them through the door. Then she walked upstairs leaving Pacey to follow with Joey in tow.


End file.
